The Los Angeles Lakers’ obvious need from last season’s playoffs was improved defense. They addressed this concern by filling their big-man hole with DeAndre Ayton and acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. Smart was notably brought in to help Luka Doncic defensively, with Doncic showing improvement by earning a Best Defensive Player nomination at EuroBasket 2025.
However, according to Brian Windhorst, the Lakers added another underrated defensive asset alongside Smart. Brian Windhorst reveals Lakers’ confidence in Jake LaRavia’s versatile defensive capabilities.
The ESPN insider believes the Lakers view Jake LaRavia as a crucial defensive piece despite Marcus Smart receiving most of the attention.
“I wouldn’t count on Luka for night in and night out [defensively]. They also lost Dorian Finney-Smith, so they tried to address this by going out and signing Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart,” Windhorst started.
“Now I know Marcus Smart’s gonna be the headliner there because he’s a former Defensive Player of the Year, but I think the Lakers feel like Jake LaRavia is an underrated defensive player.”
Windhorst emphasized LaRavia’s positional versatility as a key asset for the Lakers’ defensive schemes going forward.
“He can guard point guards all the way down to even some power forwards, so they’re gonna be relying on him this year,” he added. LaRavia’s statistical foundation supports optimism about defensive impact.
LaRavia’s defensive metrics from last season provide encouraging signs for Lakers fans.
He averaged 0.9 steals with a defensive rating of 113.7, which compared favorably to players like Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, and even Finney-Smith. The statistical foundation suggests LaRavia possesses the tools to become a quality defensive contributor, especially under JJ Redick’s coaching and tactical instruction.
LaRavia previously stated he’s the type of player who gives everything and doesn’t give up on plays. This mentality, combined with his measurable defensive impact, provides Lakers fans legitimate reasons for optimism about his role in their improved defensive identity.
